Environmental Council Meeting -- February 24, 2011
Environmental Council Meeting Thursday, February 24, 2011
Attending: Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Meigs, Mr. Meigs, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Schnoor, Ms. Petri, Mrs. Siegenthaler, Mrs. Manny, Gabby Alziari, David Cheung, Josh Webb, Alejandra Charrabe We met to discuss the Green School Visit Questions that were sent to us by Paul Chapman, retired Head of Head-Royce School, who is spending this year visiting schools that are noted for their strong sustainability programs. We had very good input from all attending, including written responses from Drew Casertano.
Here are the questions with our responses.
Green School Visit Questions February, 2011
1. Commitment--What is the School’s vision for environmental sustainability? (Mission, Strategic Plan, Goals, Objectives? Why is the school committed?)
Educating Millbrook students to be stewards of the natural world is part of our mission and has been since the school's founding since 1931. Along with respect, integrity, service and curiosity, it is one of the school's core values. Thus, we are committed to sustainable practice in all areas, to becoming a more sustainable school each year, and to educating our students accordingly. We have a focused Environmental Stewardship Mission Statement and our major goals and objectives help us fulfill our mission. Becoming more sustainable requires a long term commitment from the leadership and from the whole community. We have become a working laboratory for sustainability, always experimenting with new programs while maintaining and improving established programs. Evidence can be found in the trustees' decision that all new construction will meet silver level LEED certification at minimum, our gold level LEED certified Mathematics and Science Center, the Trevor Zoo, our winning and providing leadership for the Green Cup Challenge, our being charter members of the Green Schools Alliance and more that will be described in response to question 3.
2. Leadership--How is the environmental initiative organized and governed? (Who are the leaders, how is the program staffed and governed, with what resources? What is Board’s role?)
The board is devoted to the school’s mission and history. Thus, it is committed to sustainable practice. From 2000-2002, a Stewardship of the Natural World committee helped to guide the school’s green initiatives. In 2002, the school established the Environmental Council (EC), whose mission and purpose are attached. The EC, which is chaired by Jane Meigs, a veteran Millbrook faculty member, and which includes faculty, staff and students, makes recommendations to the headmaster and senior administrators annually for actions, programs and policies to make Millbrook a more sustainable community. In 2011-12, funds will be set aside in the operating budget for green initiatives.
The EC meets monthly or more frequently. Our meetings are organized by the following EC goals:
1. Expand recycling
2. Improve energy and resource conservation
3. Promote green building design, construction, and renovation
4. Increase sustainable food choices and practices
5. Educating for Environmental Stewardship/Sustainability (ES/S)
Here are the EC Recommendations for 2010-11: (Attach)
3. Programs—What are the school’s noteworthy programs? (Energy and Resources, Ecological Curriculum, Nutritious Food, Healthy Environment, Community Practices?)
Noteworthy Programs-Organized by EC meeting goals:
1. Expand Recycling:
•Recycling of paper, aluminum, plastics, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, CDs and DVDs, electronic and computers, refillable markers in all classrooms
2. Improve Energy and Resource Conservation:
•Green Cup Challenge-winning and continued support and innovation for electrical energy efficiency
•CF bulbs all over campus and continuing lighting efficiency upgrades
•Energy efficiency/lighting upgrade funding from Central Hudson
•Targeted Energy Audit in 2011
•Phase Out Bottled Water Campaign
•Use of 100% recycled paper and going digital whenever possible
•Charter member of the Green Schools Alliance 3. Promote green building design, construction, and renovation
•MASC is LEED Gold; all other building and renovation to be at least LEED silver
3. Increase sustainable food choices and practices
•Food composting-other schools have visited our program. Cut our solid waste by 50%
•Compostable disposable plates, cups and cutlery
•More local foods and fewer visits from food vendors
•Trayless dining
•Meatless Monday and many other dining hall improvements-see attachment
4. Educating for Environmental Stewardship/Sustainability (ES/S)
•Regular outstanding environmental speakers and films
•SCAPE (Students Concerned About Planet Earth) Educational chalkboard murals in MASC 10/10/10 Global Work Party for Climate Change International Red Panda Day promotion Food waste and food composting education Support for Green Cup Challenge Phase Out Bottled Water-New stainless steel canteens for all new community members
•Science Dept has made environmental stewardship and sustainability a core curricular concept and is working to make use of the Trevor Zoo a part of every science course.
•Some teachers in other departments have brought ES/S into their classes—
•CES and Intersession projects with environmental themes
4. Impact—What are the reasons for the program’s success? How is it evaluated?
•Leadership and involvement of the dedicated members of the Environmental Council
•Spreading ownership for ES/S broadly across the school’s programs and curricula
•Hiring people who are committed to ES/S
•Support from the Head and TAC Evaluation:
•Major evaluation of our ES/S program occurred last year through the NYSAIS Accreditation process. Millbrook received a commendation for its ES/S program.
•Regular discussion/evaluation at EC meetings
•EC reports to the Faculty meeting and input from faculty
•Meetings with Head of School
•Comparison of our progress with the Sustainable Millbrook 3-Year Plan from 2006
5. Challenges—What obstacles have you met and how have you overcome them? Financial, behavioral, resources, other?
•Funding has been somewhat tenuous and dependent on a variety of budgets. We need more funding for energy efficiency upgrades so that we can lower our carbon footprint. To help address this, funds will be set aside in the operating budget for green initiatives in 2011-12.
•We are falling behind on our Green Schools Alliance pledge to lower our carbon footprint 30% by 2015. The EC will consider changing our GSA pledge status from Champion to Steward level or whether we want to work to reenergize our commitment to lower our carbon footprint at the Champion level.
•How can we possibly lower our carbon footprint as we add several new buildings?
•What new renewable energy initiatives should we develop?
•How do we build and sustain an energy conservation ethic and behaviors?
•How do we increase funding for ES/S projects?
•How do we encourage more focus on ES/S in more classes across the curriculum?
•How de we solidify support for ES/S initiatives among all faculty?
6. Future plans—What is next for your school? How will you assure continuation of the program?
•Food Literary Symposium at Ethel Walker School in June and presentation of this workshop to our own faculty/community
•Make energy conservation behavior a more deeply engrained pattern—Consultation with Wynn Calder as part of our energy audit process
•Carry out recommendations of the energy audit. Use money saved to fund more energy efficiency upgrades
•Continue to provide leadership for GCC
•Recruit and inspire new faculty who are committed to ES/S
•Continual and sustained progress on achieving our EC goals. We’re in this process for the long haul.
•Add a Green Purchasing Policy
•More organic food choices
•Comply with NY State’s Be Green program on synthetic pesticide-free lawns and athletic fields.
•Land Stewardship Committee to incorporate best sustainable practices for biodiversity preservation
•Planning for Environmental Stewardship as Core Value for 2011-12 year
•Next EC meeting: Thursday, March 31 at 12:45 in the small dining room.
